Dear readers,
These are the hardest words I will ever have to write. My husband, Tim Ketchum, died suddenly last week of what was first thought to be an abdominal aneurysm. Doctors now think he may have had a genetic connective tissue disorder that weakened the structure of his aorta.
He was my partner in every sense of the word. He was my best friend, my confidante, my safe place. And oh, he was such an amazing father. He shared the burden of raising our three children with gusto, being present in a way that most dads will never be.
Everyone who ever met Tim loved him. Even people who only met him in passing were charmed by him. Warm, compassionate, loving, thoughtful. And funny as hell! I fell in love with him because he made me laugh. And even as life became more complicated and serious, we never lost that connection, that goofiness and silliness that made every situation easier to bear.
I feel compelled to share here because I am not quite sure what the future looks like. Certainly for the near term, I will be scaling back my time on All Day I Dream About Food so I can focus on my family and my grief. You will still see posts and recipes from me, but I don’t quite know with what frequency. I will be taking the easy route, updating older posts and sharing simple recipes. I have a backlog of some already that I can share over the next few weeks. I also have help with my social media and I am every so grateful to Stephanie, who has taken over my Facebook page completely for now.
Then again, I may decide to lose myself in the process of baking and create some amazing keto cakes. I honestly don’t know what I want or what I need right now. But I ask that you give me grace for not answering your questions in a timely fashion.
How you can help
I am so fortunate to have created an amazing community of readers and followers, some of whom have been with me for over a decade. I know many of you will want to help in some way. And I am grateful for your thoughts and your kindness.
The best thing you can do is keep coming to my website, reading my posts (both new and old), and sharing my posts on social media. Share to groups, share with friends, and pin my recipes to your Pinterest boards. This website has been my family’s source of income for many years now and views will generate much needed ad revenue. I know that ads can be cumbersome, but I ask that you take time to scroll through each post a little bit.
Another great way to help me is to purchase my cookbooks. In particular, pre-order my upcoming book, The Protein Advantage. I will not have much time to promote it now, but it’s something I worked so hard on. I would love to see it succeed and pre-orders make a huge difference to the overall sales of the book. It helps retailers decide how many copies they want to keep on their shelves. And I can assure you, it’s a book worthy of your time.
Thank you for reading. If you are a spiritual person, please send up some thoughts for the wonderful Tim Ketchum. He was a light in the world and touched so many people. I can say confidently that if you had met him, you would have loved him.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Carolyn,
You and your family have my deepest condolences. I pray God’s unmistakable peace enfolds you as you navigate the grief journey. Know that you are appreciated, supported and cared for.
Oh my, I am so sorry to hear about your husband. Sending my love to you and your family.
I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot even pretend to know how you feel right now. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. I love your website and look forward to trying your new recipes. Ina
My heart breaks for you. Praying for you and your family as you move forward without this wonderful man.
Carolyn, I’m am so deeply sorry for your loss of Tim. My thoughts and prayers will be lifted up for you and your children.
Take as much time as you need and we will still like, love, share and purchase, as you grieve 🙏🏻🩶
Oh.. this made my heart instantly break for what you must be going through. I have followed you for over 10 years, and sometimes feel like I know your family well. What a shock! May God wrap you and your familyin his loving arms and help you through this time of grief. May you find your comfort in knowing Tim is with him.
Oh Carolyn, I was so devastated and heartbroken by your news, and I have no words except you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. Please know that we all support and respect your time needed to collect your thoughts and sort through this most terrible loss. God bless 🙏
I’m so sorry for your devastating loss. I am happy to say I’ve already preordered the new cookbook. I’ll keep you and your kids in my prayers!
Oh Carolyn I am so so sorry for the loss of your dear Tim. I have been following you since the very beginning and have loved all of your family stories along the way. Sending all the love and light to you, your sweet children, and your dear Tim. One thing I know from experience is those that have passed are still around us in spirit, and the love, too. 🩷🩷🩷🩷
Our prayers go with you and your family. God bless.
My heart goes out to you Carolyn. I was widowed 9.5 years ago and I can deeply empathize with your pain and grief. Many hugs to you & your children and all. Hang in there. Don’t make any serious decisions for at least a year. Rearrange the furniture if you need to do ‘something’. Take it slowly. Again, many hugs.
Carolyn, I am so extremely sorry for your loss. This news breaks my heart to hear. God be with you and your family. Prayers.
I only know you through your social posts, hard copy books and a couple email exchanges connecting our Canadian roots. I realized suddenly that you have been present in my life nearly every single day for the past 8 years so naturally I feel like I knkw you on a more personal level. This hit me like a ton of bricks. I am so utterly sorry for your loss. Tim was clearly an absolute gem. Hold onto all the memories as you walk through the stages of grief with your family. May you have all the strength necessary to lift you up and move you forward. Take all the time you need. Your biggest fans (like me) are right by your side.
Prayers to help you gain the peace in this heartbreaking time. Remembering the JOY you shared , the children who are a part of each of you will help . You need not ever forget or avoid speaking of all the times you all share. Blessing …Annette
Wow what a harsh point of life. Remember you are strong and will survive this grief. Take care of yourself and your family, stay well and continue forward. Sending kind thoughts and sympathy.
Oh Carolyn, I am so sorry. There are no words to truly comfort you. Grief is a process and you do it your own way. I’m sure your way will be with strength and grace. God be with you and your family. I’m praying hard for all of you.